[Today’s K-pop] Enhypen to drop 3rd single in Japan in September

Enhypen will bring out third single in Japan on Sept. 5, announced agency Belift Lab on Monday. The album, dubbed “結 – You,” will consist of three tracks including Japanese-language version of “Bite Me,” main track from its fourth EP “Dark Blood” and “Bills,” a B-side track from the same album. The single comes about 11 months since its first studio album in Japan, “Sadame,” which topped Oricon’s weekly combined album ranki

K-popJuly 3, 2023

YG's Treasure taps into US market with Columbia Records

K-pop boy band Treasure has joined hands with Columbia Records, a label unit under Sony Music, in its ambitious bid to make inroads into the US market. Treasure's agency YG Entertainment on Monday announced the group forged a partnership with Columbia Records to support the launch of the band's second studio album "Reboot" in the US next month. Columbia Records will be assisting Treasure in the global distribution as well as local marketing and promotion of the new album, YG

K-popJuly 3, 2023

BTS' Jimin sets new K-pop record on Billboard

BTS' Jimin continues to set new K-pop milestones on the Billboard charts. Jimin's "Angel Pt.1," from the original soundtrack for action flick "Fast X," landed at No. 96 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart for July 1, charting for the second nonconsecutive week. "Fast X" is the latest release from the popular “Fast & Furious” series, and Jimin is the first South Korean singer to feature on one of its soundtracks. With Jimin as the main vocalis

K-popJuly 3, 2023

[Herald Review] Psy blows away sultry summer with ‘Summer Swag’

Thousands of people dressed in blue flocked to the Jamsil Olympic Stadium in Seoul on Friday to get wet and wild with the iconic K-pop singer Psy. Psy kicked off the first day of his nationwide tour, “Summer Swag,” this year with a video clip of himself and actor Heo Sung-tae dancing to “Kokain 2021,” the wildly popular track that took over social media with its addictive melody. The song got everyone in the stadium on their feet, jumping to the song. Psy soon appeared on

K-popJuly 3, 2023

Homage gone wrong: Yena removes 'Hate Rodrigo' music video, cancels promotion

K-pop singer Yena's cheeky attempt to express her reverence for Olivia Rodrigo seems to have fallen flat, with the music video for her new song, "Hate Rodrigo," being taken following a series of controversies. Yena, who goes by Choi Yena in Korea, released her new single on Tuesday, along with a music video. The song was highly anticipated, especially as it features the collaboration of Yena and her best friend Yuqi from the girl group (G)I-DLE. The song's lyrics, which were partly wri

K-popJuly 2, 2023

BTS' Jungkook renews Billboard records ahead of solo debut

BTS' Jungkook continues his record-setting streak on Billboard's global charts as he gears up for his solo debut this month. The US music publication's latest chart release on Saturday showed Charlie Puth's Jungkook collaboration, "Left And Right," hit No. 179 on the Billboard Global US Exclusive chart that day, marking its 38th week on the chart. This extends Jungkook's own record of longest streak by an individual K-pop singer on the song chart. He also renewed his record on Billboar

K-popJuly 2, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] NCT to launch last team through reality show

A reality show that will follow the launch of a new team under NCT will start airing on July 27, according to label SM Entertainment Friday. As the title “NCT Universe: Lastart” -- a combination of last and start -- suggests, it will be the last expansion of the boy band and also will hail the beginning of a new team. Trainees from the label will participate in the program to be judged by senior artists including BoA and Eunhyuk of Super Junior. The show will portray the entire proc

K-popJune 30, 2023

K-pop high school to open in Busan

A high school specializing in educating students in K-pop and related performances will open in Busan, South Korea’s second-largest city, by 2028, the city’s education authorities announced Friday. The school will provide quality vocal, dance, composing and songwriting lessons taught by experienced K-pop faculty. International students will be eligible to apply, Ha Yoon-su, the superintendent of education in Busan, said in an official briefing. An official at the Busan Metropolitan

K-popJune 30, 2023

Global K-pop girl group launching project 'A2K' to be unveiled next month

K-pop powerhouse JYP Entertainment and the American music label Republic Records will unveil its new K-pop girl group production project “A2K” on JYP’s official YouTube channel starting from July 13, JYP Entertainment said Friday. “A2K” is the first project between the two labels to create a female band under the K-pop idol training system. Through a series of clips on YouTube, JYP Entertainment will be sharing the process of selecting candidates of diverse national

K-popJune 30, 2023

Jungkook of BTS to debut solo with single ‘Seven’ next month

Jungkook of BTS is making his official solo debut next month with the digital single “Seven.” The artist announced through the global fandom communication platform Weverse on Friday that he would be dropping the single on July 14 at 1 p.m. The single “Seven” will be a rhythmic song perfect to tune into in the summer season, according to Big Hit Music. Jungkook is the sixth member of BTS to debut solo, following J-Hope, Jin, RM, Jimin and Suga. This series of solo debuts o

K-popJune 30, 2023

Ukiss celebrates 15th anniversary with 'Play List'

It seems like time has not been wasted for Ukiss' members, despite the years they have spent apart. The members have spent several years -- a dozen years at the longest -- apart, but the six men boasted a boisterous yet smooth demeanor onstage at their 15th anniversary comeback showcase event on Wednesday. It was a long-awaited comeback, a feat achieved five years and six months after the group dropped its last single, "Ready For You," in December 2017. But for each of the six mem

K-popJune 29, 2023

IU to cherish her 15 years with media art exhibition

Singer-songwriter IU is set to launch a media art exhibition in celebration of her 15th anniversary in July. "IU is set to hold a media art exhibition 'Moment,' for around a month between July 21 until Aug. 20 at The Seouliteum in Seongdong-gu, Seoul," the singer's agency, Edam Entertainment, said Thursday. The title "Moment," portrays IU's wish to cherish the memories she has made with her fandom, Uena, through the exhibition, the agency explained. This i

K-popJune 29, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Seventeen’s Jun to drop 4th solo single in China

Jun of Seventeen will put out his fourth solo digital single in China on July 4, agency Pledis Entertainment announced Thursday. The teaser video for the upcoming single, “Psycho,” opened with a view of the idol's back and showed a box wrapped up in chains fall and a moving logo change from Limbo to Psycho. “Limbo” is his previous solo single that came out about nine months before. In the meantime, the band’s tenth EP “FML” from April is proving its sta

K-popJune 29, 2023

Summer queens Oh My Girl to return with new album in late July

K-pop girl group Oh My Girl is making its long-awaited full-unit comeback with a new album in late July. Oh My Girl’s new album will be released next month, a year and four months after the act dropped its second LP “Real Love,” according to WM Entertainment on Thursday. The seven-member group debuted in April 2015 with its EP “Oh My Girl" and has since released hit singles such as “Nonstop,” “Dolphin,” and “Dun Dun Dance.” The lin

K-popJune 29, 2023

K-pop artist Kim Sungkyu drops 5th EP '2023 S/S Collection'

Kim Sungkyu is ready to cool off the sweltering summer season with his new album “2023 S/S Collection.” The singer's fifth mini-album, which was released on Wednesday, is led by the track “Small Talk.” “I wanted to make bright and energetic music this time, unlike my prior albums which mostly consisted of serious and sad tracks. This album comprises tracks perfect for summer,” said Kim Sungkyu during a press conference in Seoul on Wednesday. “The ti

K-popJune 29, 2023

[Herald Interview] WEi ends odyssey of 'Love' with sixth EP

Boy band WEi is marking the end of its odyssey of love with the new EP "Love Pt. 3: Eternally." The new album, the sixth EP from the sextet, comes out on Thursday, marking their return to the music scene after eight months. Ahead of their return, the members held a joint press interview last Thursday in Seoul. The final episode of the band's love trilogy "Eternally" takes the topic of love to a more profound level and addresses the universal emotion of self-love. With th

K-popJune 29, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] Le Sserafim to hold 1st international tour from August

Le Sserafim announced plans for its first global tour, “Flame Rises,” on Wednesday. The group will begin the tour in Seoul with a two-day concert slated for Aug. 12-13 and head over to Japan to visit fans in three cities -- Nagoya, Tokyo and Osaka. In September and October, the five members will perform in Hong Kong, Jakarta, Indonesia, and Bangkok, Thailand. In the meantime, the quintet will release its second single in Japan, “Unforgiven,” on Aug. 23. It will be fronte

K-popJune 28, 2023

Fifty Fifty applies for injunction to suspend exclusive contract with agency Attrakt

All four members of rising K-pop girl group Fifty Fifty have applied for an injunction to suspend their exclusive contract with their agency Attrakt. Members Keena, Aran, Sio and Saena have applied for an injunction to suspend their exclusive contract with Attrakt on June 19 to the Seoul Central District Court, according to their legal representative Barun Law on Wednesday. “Such a measure was taken for breach of contract by Attrakt and for having lost trust with the members. We’ve r

K-popJune 28, 2023

'Self-love is my style': Yena returns with 'Hate XX'

K-pop singer Yena released new single "Hate XX" on Tuesday, returning after five months following the release of her first single, "Love War," in January. "There are three songs, and I expressed various emotions in my unique cheerful energy," Yena, going by her real name Choi Yena in Korean, said during a press conference held on the same day as the release. The single's main song is "Hate Rodrigo," a dance tune that sings of the cute jealousy toward

K-popJune 28, 2023

[Today’s K-pop] SHINee lands atop iTunes chart in 40 regions with LP No. 8

  SHINee topped the iTunes top albums chart in 40 regions with eighth studio album, according to label SM Entertainment on Tuesday. LP “Hard” also was No. 1 on the worldwide iTunes albums chart as well as multiple music charts at home. The album consists of 10 tracks including the titular track and the bandmates performed six of them for the first time at its concert held in Seoul last week. Leader Onew, however, was absent from the live show as he is taking a break for health r

K-popJune 27, 2023